Public Telescope Nights (March 31 - May 26. Reopens in September.)
The Clay Center Observatory is open one evening each week in the fall and spring terms for public astronomy viewing. Bring the entire family to look at the stars, planets, Moon, and more. Tour the Stars Court, lit by fiber optics, and walk among the classical constellations from 17th century drawings. Visit the Moon Court and Sun Court to learn about our solar system. Weigh yourself on the Moon and Mars with the Planetary Scales. (Weather permitting - see
Public Astronomy web site each week for details.)
Community and Adult Education (Classes in April-May and Sept-Oct.)
The Clay Center has partnered with Brookline Adult and Community Education (BA&CE) to offer classes in Astronomy, Music Technology, and Amateur Radio to the greater Boston community. For information and registration, visit BA&CE at
http://www.brooklineadulted.org/.
National Solar Tours Open House - Oct. 3, 2009 (Each fall!)
On the first Saturday of each October the Clay Center participates in the National Solar Tours and local Green Buildings Open House run by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA). The top floor is opened to the public for tours of the solar and wind energy systems, tours of the amateur radio club, and viewing the sun safely through observatory solar telescopes (weather permitting).
Fall Weather Festival - Saturday - Oct. 24, 2009 (Each fall!)
Each fall the Clay Center partners with Blue Hill Weather Observatory to host the Southern New England Weather Conference and family Weather Festival. While the conference is geared to adults and college students, the
Weather Festival is a fun family-style event with many hands-on activities for all ages. Past events have included planetarium weather shows, exhibits, demonstrations, model rocketry, and kite flying.
FIRST LEGO League Robotics Playoffs - Saturday - Dec. 12, 2009 (Each fall!)
Each fall the Clay Center hosts a robotics playoff tournament for
FIRST LEGO League teams. Over 25 teams compete in an all-day event that draws hundreds of people. For more information, visit our
FIRST Robotics web page. (
FIRST : For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology )
National Astronomy Day - May 8, 2010 (Each spring!)
Every spring the Clay Center teams up with the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston to celebrate National Astronomy Day, a fun family-oriented festival of science. Join us for solar and night telescope viewing, planetarium shows, laser light shows, kite flying, model rocketry, guest lecturers including Galileo himself, exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on activities for all ages. Free admission - see
Astronomy Day web site for details.